What happens in Vegas never did stay in Vegas contrary to that now 15-year old marketing slogan I got sick of 15 years ago. The succeeding, “What happens here, stays here” was scarcely an improvement.

Take, for example, what happens in a Vegas courtroom. To the uninitiated, you might think from news reports the past couple of years that there’s a perverse penchant for handcuffing lawyers in Clark County, Nevada. That kind of news doesn’t stay in Vegas.

The justice of the peace was subsequently disciplined by the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline for his conduct. He consented to a public censure and agreement not to seek, accept or serve in any judicial or adjudicative position or capacity in the future in any jurisdiction in the State of Nevada.

Then last month Clark County Family Court Judge William Potter was suspended for two months without pay for several violations of the Nevada Code of Judicial Conduct arising out of ordering the handcuffing of lawyer Michancy Moonblossom Cramer and threatening to handcuff another lawyer, Ernest Buche, in his courtroom.

The 15-page decision of the Judicial Discipline Commission is worth reading. Besides the two month unpaid suspension, Judge Potter is required to apologize in writing to both lawyers; perform 10 hours of community service; pay a $5,000 fine to an antibullying group; and because the commission panel questioned Judge Potter’s “mental stability and capacity to control his anger,” he is required to submit to a psychiatric exam. As noted in the decision, “The most troubling aspect of the hearing occurred when (Potter’s) temper exploded during the commission hearing itself, thus allowing the commission to witness first-hand the very same behavior that the judge exhibited during the Cramer incident.”

And finally, there’s this, which thankfully doesn’t involve more lawyer handcuffing by judges. Instead, it’s Clark County District Court Judge Susan Johnson who told several felons to follow through on their probation so they’d be able to vote for Donald Trump in the next presidential election. The judge’s political recommendation made national news — yet again undermining “What happens here, stays here.”

I’ll be surprised if a complaint isn’t filed with Nevada’s Judicial Discipline Commission against Judge Johnson for possibly violating the code of conduct’s prohibitions against politicking from the bench. Most likely, though, if a complaint is lodged, it won’t be from a lawyer.

With apologies to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., among other viable reasons, including potential prejudice to clients, detached reflection isn’t in great demand while handcuffed.

As for the humor of it, The Nevada Independent reported December 1st that Judge Johnson has made her vote for Donald Trump ‘joke’ three times. The schtick apparently did not get stale after the first or second time.

As a matter of fact, the last documented instance came in August when the jurist told defendant Monique Fresquez, “So if you do everything I tell you to do, you will have your civil rights restored in about three years. You’ll be able to vote for Mr. Trump, I’m sure he could use your vote.”

So far there are no reports of any defendants ‘humorously’ receiving MAGA caps.